The Detroit Tigers opened spring training on Tuesday when pitchers and catchers reported to Tiger Town in Lakeland, Florida.

No, the Tigers aren't expected to be much of a factor in the American League Central Division this season. And, yes, we'll be watching to see if the club reaches the 100-loss plateau for the first time since setting an American League record with 119 losses in 2003.

It could happen. The Tigers could lose fewer than 98 games for the first time since 2016. They could play well enough to finish second in the AL Central. And, hey, the Cleveland Indians, the home-run pick to win the division, aren't exactly world beaters this year.

Anything is possible.

Don't believe me? Just watch this video of Tigers pitchers and catchers throwing Tuesday in Lakeland.

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Anthony Fenech shares with us the sights and sounds from Lakeland, Fla., as the Detroit Tigers' pitchers throw off mounds.
Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press

Feel better? Good.

Here's everything you need to know about the Tigers in spring training:

Top story lines

► Gettin' Miggy with it: Miguel Cabrera's health will determine the extent of the Tigers' success this season. The megastar first baseman played in just 38 games in 2018, and over the past two seasons, he has hit a combined 19 home runs. That's unfortunate production for a player who once owned the richest contract in baseball history. Which means the Tigers must do everything they can to protect their asset in 2019. Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel has one idea: Make Cabrera the permanent designated hitter. And who knows, doing so might help Cabrera chase down his 500th career home run sooner than we all think (he enters the season with 460 career HRs).

► So long, Nick? Nicholas Castellanos is going to be traded, and he prefers that happens before Opening Day, his agent recently told Free Press sports writer Anthony Fenech. Whether that happens hinges on how the free-agent market shakes out. As of this writing, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were still unsigned, and they weren't the only ones. Free Press writer Ryan Ford breaks down the top free agents the Tigers never were going to sign. For Castellanos' part, his impending departure signals the next step in the Tigers' rebuild, but it also signals a bitter-sweet shift for a player who developed into a big leaguer in the Tigers' farm system.

► Position battles: Fenech breaks down three key position battles heading into spring training. Read his analysis on who could fill the Tigers' void at catcher, in the bullpen and at the back end of the rotation.

► 'L' of a season? More like a hell of an opportunity. The Tigers will do well not to lose 100 games this season, but if they do, that could — and probably should — mean some invaluable playing time for some of the franchise's budding prospects who have yet to arrive in the big leagues. Daz Cameron looks to be the center fielder of the future, and Mize already has an arsenal of pitches ready for MLB hitters. Right-hander Franklin Perez was the gem in the Justin Verlander trade, and Kyle Funkhouser looks like another piece in the starting rotation of the future.

First, the batting lineup. 1. Jeimer Candelario, 3B. Well, someone has to bat leadoff and in his first full season in the majors, he has shown power and the ability to draw a walk. Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports